Obama Playing Defense Over Gas Prices & GOP Attacks

How badly has the Obama administration handled promoting what’s actually been happening on energy production on their watch?

It couldn’t have been worse.

The graph here is from the Wall Street Journal, from back in August 2011. Here’s an excerpt from the report:

1,069: The number of rigs drilling for oil in the U.S. this week.

The figure reflects a huge surge in U.S. oil drilling, up nearly 60% in the past year and the highest total since at least 1987, when oil services company Baker Hughes Inc. began keeping track.

But I bet you if you conducted random interviews across the country with average Americans you wouldn’t get many who are aware that Pres. Obama has presided over a surge in energy production and the decline in U.S. dependency on foreign oil.

With Newt Gingrich squealing about $2/gallon gas, which is a fantasy, while Republicans blame Pres. Obama for the price of gas, it’s clear nobody on the right cares about the facts.

Once a political narrative gets started it’s hard to unlock it in people’s minds.

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6 Comments

fangio
March 1, 2012 at 2:36 pm

Going by the Ryan Lizza article in the New Yorker,Ã‚Â “Ã‚Â The Obama Memos,Ã‚Â “Ã‚Â he has awful advisor’s and doesn’t push back enough.Ã‚Â The same is true here;Ã‚Â Why not wait until after the election to start screwing around with Iran, what was the big rush,Ã‚Â it’s not like their going to have a weapon tomorrow.Ã‚Â Now he’s opened himself up to all the usual attacks.Ã‚Â What good is promoting his record on energy supplies when gas is over four dollars a gallon in some places;Ã‚Â people just say,Ã‚Â “Ã‚Â How could that be. “

Ramsgate
March 1, 2012 at 2:56 pm

Obama is not a fighter — never will be. Instead of striking back, his first instinct is the defensive crouch or to yield to the opposition.

Jane Austen
March 2, 2012 at 7:21 am

He thinks he’s compromising when in fact he’s just giving in to the opposition.Ã‚Â The man does not know how to fight for what he believes in because I don’t think he knows what he believes in when it comes to politics and issues.Ã‚Â Much easy to just roll over and let people walk all over you.

secularhumanizinevoluter
March 1, 2012 at 5:06 pm

PLUS I’m sure they were feeling fat and happy after the self inflicted disemboweling the repugnantklan/teabaggers committed over contraception.

TPAZ
March 1, 2012 at 8:08 pm

Once again, oh my, boy blunder, stumbles into taking a conservative, big business position because he knows no better. How could he have foreseen the opposition would try to hang a negative frame on the WH on this issue? Please; this is getting a bit tiresome after three years. “I drink because my child has problems, and my wife constantly argues with me, and I’m always overlooked at work for promotions, and I have health problems, and, and…”

No, you are an alcoholic that uses every thing in your life as a crutch and an excuse to drink.

See the similarities of enablers of alcoholics and defenders of Obama? He wants to approve the pipeline. The ruling class has giving the power-structure (I’m looking at you Big Dawg, too) including President Obama marching orders to go out there and sell this pipeline to the American people. Forget environmental risk and scientific caution, this is about oil profits.

cjoblak@hotmail.com
March 2, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Something’s wrong with this picture, Taylor.Ã‚Â If America’s demand for oil is down, and the production of oil in America is up, then why is the price of gas going up?Ã‚Â That’s not supposed to work that way.Ã‚Â And I disagree with what you said about gas at $2.00 a gallon being a fantasy,(Ã‚Â Gingrich is saying $2.50).Ã‚Â Gas has been under $3.00 a gallon in the past 6 month, where I live.